Tag Archives: oil

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Proof the U.S. occupation of Aghanistan is about Drugs: Largest drug bust Ever! Famous last words?

ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) reported the largest opium drug bust in Afghanistan’s history.

“The raid resulted in approximately 4,000 pounds of suspected narcotics (the equivalent of $2.5 – 3 million) being removed from the battlefield. This was the biggest drug bust in ANSF National Interdiction Unit history.”-Captain Joseph Quirk, 2nd Battalion, 9th U.S. Marine Regiment

The USMC said the bust was made by Afghan National Security Forces, after the opium was spotted by a USMC UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

However, ISAF forces had also been tipped off about the opium, in an earlier raid in Marjeh district of Helmand Province.

Captain Quirk made what could be called a famous last statement: “The amount of money lost by the insurgency will significantly affect the insurgents’ capabilities and resources for the spring offensive saving ANSF and International Security Assistance Force lives.”

The spring offensive always comes, and the opium dealing increases year after year.  How does that happen if we’re so good at making drug busts, throwing Afghans into prison without trial, and eradicating opium fields?

International, U.S.

World War 3: Turkish helicopter down in Afghanistan, U.S. led soldier killed by bomb blast, Karzai continues to blast U.S. officials, shooting victims say they don’t want money, just the heads of Americans!

March 16, 2012, a Turkish helicopter crashed outside the city of Kabul. 12 Turkish personnel and two Afghan civilians were killed.  Witness say the helicopter was having technical problems.

There are about 1,800 Turkish troops helping the U.S./NATO/ISAF forces in Afghanistan.

Last week “Taliban” claimed they shot down a U.S. helicopter, but no confirmation came from U.S. sources.

Also on March 16, a U.S. led NATO soldier was killed by road side bomb. No word on which country he was from.

Afghanistan’s President continues to condemn U.S. policies. Hamid Karzai said “This has been going on for too long. You have heard me before. It is by all means the end of the rope here!“  He was speaking to relatives of the Panjwaii shooting rampage, and reporters.

A man who’s brother and sister were killed shouted: “I don’t want any compensation! I don’t want money, I don’t want a trip to Mecca, I don’t want a house! I want nothing! But what I absolutely want is the punishment of the Americans! This is my demand, my demand, my demand and my demand!!!” 

Under Islamic law it is the right of victims, or dead victims’ relatives, to determine what kind of justice is handed out.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Incompetent Chevron creates new spill in Brazil, unknown oil spill near Seattle, U.S. fisherman still waiting for money from 2010 BP oil spill

Only a few days after Chevron announced it was hopeful in restating oil production in Brazil, ooops, there goes another one!

March 15, 2012, Chevron reported another oil spill, just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from last November’s spill.  The spill was actually noticed on March 4, but Chevron didn’t report it until now because they didn’t know where it was coming from!

In the U.S. state of Washington, the Department of Ecology is trying to figure out what kind of oil is spilling from two sunken barges.  The oil spill is forming near Lummi Island.

Salvage companies were in the process of cutting up the sunken barges when the oil spilled out. Some officials say the oil could be coming from under the barges. The spill is affecting 200 feet of shoreline.

In U.S. states along the Gulf of Mexico, fisherman still haven’t been paid by British Petroleum.  In 2010 an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil were spilled by BP operations, shutting down the fishing industry.

The Commercial Fishermen of America say at least $2.5 billion in damages were done to the Louisiana fishing industry alone!  The numbers of fish are still below pre-spill levels!

Recently a settlement was made, but it could take years for all the money to be issued.  Another problem is that attorneys are about to unleash a campaign to convince people they can get their money fast, if they only go through their law firm.

Because it will take so long for the money to be issued, the Gulf states could still lose 2,650 to 3,975 jobs, with earnings losses of $68 million to $103 million!

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Germany to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014

“A strategic pact is going to be signed between German Chancellor and Afghan president Hamid Karzai in the near future, but Germany is a close friend of Afghanistan besides the strategic pact and will continue to its cooperation. Germany remains committed to support Afghanistan economically and technically beyond 2014.”-Thomas de Maiziére, German Defense Minister

Without giving details the Defense Minister of Germany said his country will continue to provide Afghanistan will economic and technical support for years to come.

Afghan officials seemed pleased: “Germany has always been supportive whenever Afghanistan was in crisis and the Afghan government and people urge for further cooperation of Germany.”-Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghan Defense Minister

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Despite oil glut, U.K. & U.S. to release strategic petroleum reserves! Oil experts say there is no good reason for it! Sign that war with Iran is a done deal!!!

“The government is playing retail politics with energy and not solving the underlying problem. It does more damage than good.”-John Hoffmeister, former president of Royal Dutch Shell Oil

March 15, 2012, President Barack Obama, and Prime Minister David Cameron announced they will release oil from their respective Strategic Petroleum Reserves.  However, there is no oil shortage, and prices are high only because of speculation, not supply or demand!

The U.S. oil industry is being flooded with oil from Canada and the U.S. state of North Dakota!  And concerning the high prices of oil, Exxon Mobil CEO, Rex Tillerson, said to blame that on the speculators!

But it looks like Obama and Cameron are playing to the speculators, because price began dropping soon after the announcement.  Oil analysts have said  speculators are concerned with future oil supplies if a war with Iran was going to happen.  Is this a sign that war with Iran is a done deal?

International, U.S.

World War 3: Al Qaeda says kill all Shi’a in Saudi Arabia, bomb explodes at Saudi embassy in Yemen, Saudi forces attack women

March 15, 2012, the U.S. supported al-Qaeda has ordered the killing of all Shi’a Muslims in Saudi Arabia!

Said al-Shihri, who leads al-Qaeda militants in the Salafi/Wahab dominated Arabian Peninsula, has ordered the killing of Shi’a protesters, and the stealing of their property!

Shihri said the Saudi government, and Wahhabi extremist leaders, have not done enough to repress the Shi’a uprising!

A 2008 BBC documentary proved that al-Qaeda was a creation of the United States, that relied on Salafi/Wahab extremists. That documentary is called The Power of Nightmares, you can watch it here.

“There is also no evidence bin Laden used the term ‘al Qaeda‘ to refer to a name of a group, until after September 11th when he realized that this was the name the Americans had given him.”-Power of Nightmares, Part 3, The Shadows in the Cave

Since March 2011, people in Saudi Arabia have been protesting their U.S. supported government.  In the past few weeks those protests have been increasing.

On March 7, 2012, as many as one thousand female students protested at the King Khalid University in Abha, Asir Province. U.S. supported Saudi police cracked down, killing one woman, wounding 50, and causing one pregnant protester to miscarry.  30 university professors resigned in disgust!

Also, on March 1, 2012, protestors in cities along the Persian Gulf, attacked major oil pipelines at Awamiyah. There were reports of explosions, and there are pics of fires at the oil port facilities.

Oil prices went up, then back down after the Saudi government denied any attacks on oil facilities.  U.S. media blamed the initial report on Iranian media, however it was actually Arab media sources that first reported it!

Also on March 15, 2012, Saudi officials say a car bomb exploded at their embassy in Yemen.  This is not the first time Saudi officials have been targeted in Yemen, as they are helping the United States support the government there.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Karzai demands U.S. troops pull back, U.S. officials blow him off, Taliban end talks with U.S. officials, Afghans want the U.S. out now!

The Taliban have called off all negotiations with the United States, saying the Americans are nothing but back stabbers: “The Americans initially agreed to take practical steps regarding the exchange of prisoners and to not oppose our political office but with the passage of time, they turned their backs on their promises and started initiating baseless propaganda portraying the envoys of the Islamic Emirate as having commenced multilateral negotiations for solving the Afghan dilemma…” 

The Taliban say they will not resume negotiations “…until the Americans clarify their stance on the issues concerned and until they show willingness in carrying out their promises instead of wasting time.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai told off U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panette, telling him all “international security forces have to be taken out of Afghan village outposts and return to (larger) bases.” as well as insisting that Afghanistan can handle its own security: “We’re ready to take over all security responsibilities now……Afghan security forces have the ability to keep the security in rural areas and in villages on their own!”

Basically Karzai wants the United States out by next year!

Afghans are in the streets demanding the U.S. get out now!

The Associated Press reported that Pentagon officials didn’t think Karzai meant what he said.  Statements from U.S. President Barack Obama support that: “I don’t anticipate, at this stage, that we’re going to be making any sudden, additional changes to the plan that we currently have.”

Thousands of Afghans are protesting what they see as dirty tricks regarding the handling of the “lone” shooter, in the Panjwaii massacre.

The Times revealed that in his meeting with Karzai, Leon Panette simply said the shooter would be brought to justice.  Under Islamic law it is the right of the victims to demand how that justice is carried out: “It was the demand of the families of the martyrs of this incident, the people of Kandahar and the people of Afghanistan to try him publicly in Afghanistan!”-Mohammad Naeem Lalai Hamidzai, Afghan politician

Hamidzai was part of the parliament appointed investigation that concluded there was at least 20 U.S. personnel involved in the Panjwaii shooting.

While Panette was telling Karzai that justice would be done, the U.S. military quietly flew the “lone” shooter to Kuwait.  Afghans see this as more insult to injury at the hands of the United States, because it proves the United States is not there to help them rebuild their country, because the U.S. totally disses on them (disrespects & oppresses) all the time!

 

International, U.S.

Government Evil: U.S. military analysts question handling of Afghanistan shooting suspect, call it “Very Strange”

“This is unprecedented in my experience. It’s very strange.”-Eugene Fidell, military law teacher at Yale University

Fidel is referring to the way the Department of Defense is handling the so called lone U.S. Army Staff Sergeant accused of shooting up women and children in Afghanistan.

U.S. military officials are telling the media that how they’re handling the situation is military policy, but even people inside the military say something strange is going on: “They shut everything down over there. I didn’t even find out about it from him. They’re not allowed to say anything.”-Jill Barber, wife of NCO who is assigned to the same battalion that the “shooter” is assigned to

Barber is talking about basically a gag order that has been placed on all personnel on the base in Panjwaii, Afghanistan.

A former advisor to U.S. Army Special Forces says it’s possible all personnel on that base in Afghanistan had all their electronic communications devices confiscated.

To make matters more suspicious, an official Afghan Parliament investigation says there were at least 20 U.S. personnel involved in the genocidal shootings, and body burnings.

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Big fire Down Under, Brazil oil rig “tilting”, Chevron hoping to get back to work in Brazil

“We don’t know what’s in the smoke, we don’t know what’s burning, we don’t know the toxicity of it.”-Kim Zander, Police Chief Inspector

For the second day a huge oil fire is raging in Wingfield, South Australia, Australia.  It’s a waste oil depot, and the city of Adelaide is being covered with toxic smoke.

More than 100 firefighters worked to control the fire. The fire is still raging but is contained.  Word is that it was an accident that started the fire.  Homes and businesses were evacuated.

The waste oil depot is owned by Mulhern Waste Oil, who recycles the waste petroleum oils for re-use.

In Brazil, Petroleo Brasileiro SA had shut down operation on their huge Alaska Star oil platform, after it tilted three degrees.

The platform is located over Brazil’s 7th largest underwater oil & gas field (the Albacora field).  Petroleo Brasileiro SA is the world’s largest deep water petroleum producer.

The Alaska Star platform is being operated by a contractor.  The platform was stabilized after a leak of “drilling fluid” was stopped.

Speaking of Brazil, Chevron is hopeful they will be allowed to resume operations, after the government shut them down because of a huge oil spill last year.

However, Chevron has to convince Brazilian inspectors first: “We are not convinced that Chevron has identified the causes of the accident and that the risks have been mitigated to the satisfaction of Brazilian society.”-Magda Chambriard, ANP

In 2011, 2,400 to 3,000 barrels spilled in the Frade field northeast of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil fined Chevron $28 million.  Brazilian officials accused Chevron of trying to hide up the spill: “We believe the accident could’ve been avoided. There was an environmental crime. They hid information and their emergency team took almost 10 days to start acting.”-Carlos Minc, Rio de Janeiro state’s environment secretary